WHITE HOUSE

Obama Convenes Cabinet, Calls for Quick Action on Jobs Bill

President Obama on Monday called for speedy congressional action on his jobs bill, demanding results “before the end of this month.” In remarks at the beginning of a meeting with his Cabinet, the president said he is going to keep the pressure on both Congress and his own department heads to do everything they can to meet that timetable.

It is a timetable unlikely to be met on Capitol Hill. But Obama said he will be talking with the four top congressional leaders, starting with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., “insisting that we have a vote on this bill.”

Answering only one question from reporters, the president said he will be making an announcement in the next “day or so” about when he will send to Congress long-pending trade agreements.